President Bola Tinubu has ordered a sweeping reform of Nigerian football, citing years of poor results and structural problems that have seen the Super Eagles and other national teams fail to qualify for key regional, continental and global competitions.
In a statement issued Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said the intervention was necessary to fix governance and accountability gaps in the sport.
“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” Tinubu said.
The President noted that while other sports have improved since the sports sector was reset under the re-established National Sports Commission, football has lagged behind.
“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” he said.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s talent, passion and resources in football must now be matched with stronger institutions and consistent performance.
To drive the process, he directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work directly with the Nigeria Football Federation secretariat and other key stakeholders. The mandate includes maintaining continuity in day-to-day administration while leading a broad consultative reform.
The reform team will also engage FIFA and CAF to ensure Nigeria meets its obligations within the international football framework.
The President called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to back the transition.
He urged all parties to “work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.”
The announcement comes amid growing public frustration over Nigeria’s recent failure to qualify for several major tournaments, despite heavy investment in the game.
